reply to post by chorizo4
Is it a waste of time trying to influence people?
It depends on your objective.
Trying to "convince" someone through rational debate and facts is rarely succesful. Facts are not a means by which people may be convinced. Facts
only become facts after belief allow someone to perceive an idea as fact. However, if your obective is to supply someone with a catalyst for thought
by exposing them to ideas, withthe understanding that they will use or not use them as they please...this can often be succesful. Their opinion may
remain the same, or even change in a direction you hadn't considered. But if your goal is simply to expose them to an idea, that is easy enough to
do.
However, if you have a particular end result that you wish for them to manifest...if you truly wish to "change" someone, as one might carve a block
of wood with a particular end result in mind...this may sometimes be possible. But the methods of accomplishing this rarely involve "debate." It's
much easier to allow someone to come to your conclusion than to convince them to accept it.
).
